People strong in the Intellection theme are characterized by their intellectual activity. They are introspective and appreciate intellectual discussions.

You can tell a person strong in Intellection by these attributes (source: Dr. Hulme, APU):

• Needs on a team: To Think
• As a Leader: Are introspective
• In Conflict: Encourage discussions
• Partner with: Activator to initiate; connect with other intellections to share your ideas and learning. 
• In academics: – loves to think – enjoys classes where their thinking is stimulated – intellectual, analytical courses may appeal – enjoy writing papers, reading a lot – philosophy, theology, literature may appeal – may not always respond right away because they need time to reflect – may go away from the advising session to think, then come back with questions or new ideas.

Where does Intellection Theme rank in the population?

• Overall, Intellection ranks 20TH, occurring in around 12% of the population’s Top Five (13% of Females and 12% of Males)

17	20	22	20

Out of your Top 5 CliftonStrengths, it’s statistically:

• most likely to appear with Empathy, Input and learner 
• least likely to be found with Significance and Focus

 The genius of your Intellection talents stems from the quality of your thinking. You think about ideas, concepts, and principles in great depth. It is as if you hold discussions in your mind about ideas, concepts, observations and new learnings.  is results in deep learning, deep understanding, and deep appreciation for the best knowledge. Out of this deep processing, you often come to new insights and understandings. But the greatest aspect of the genius of your intellection is the wisdom that you gain from your in-depth thinking and internal discussions. You can think by yourself for hours, but never doubt what results: wisdom, clarity and a  rm foundation for action planning and decision making.

At your best (Balcony):

• excellent thinker, enjoys musing, capable of deep and philosophical thought, able to work alone

At your worst (Basement):

• a loner, slow to act or wastes time thinking too much, isolated, doesn’t work well with others

 Intellection may be one of your signature themes if…

• You love thinking and mental activity in general.
• You are always problem-solving, developing your ideas, or understanding others’ feelings.
• You enjoy your solitude and alone time where you can muse and reflect undisturbed.
• You challenge yourself by posing questions and testing out answers in your own mind.
• You are very pragmatic by nature as you plan your days.
• You often rehearse conversations in your head that you intend to have later.
• There is a constant mental hum in every moment of your life – and that’s how you like it.
  • Source: Let’s Talk Personality

A more detailed explanation from Gallup:

You like to think. You like mental activity. You like exercising the “muscles” of your brain, stretching them in multiple directions. This need for mental activity may be focused; for example, you may be trying to solve a problem or develop an idea or understand another person’s feelings. The exact focus will depend on your other strengths. On the other hand, this mental activity may very well lack focus. The theme of Intellection does not dictate what you are thinking about; it simply describes that you like to think. You are the kind of person who enjoys your time alone because it is your time for musing and reflection. You are introspective. In a sense you are your own best companion, as you pose yourself questions and try out answers on yourself to see how they sound. This introspection may lead you to a slight sense of discontent as you compare what you are actually doing with all the thoughts and ideas that your mind conceives. Or this introspection may tend toward more pragmatic matters such as the events of the day or a conversation that you plan to have later. Wherever it leads you, this mental hum is one of the constants of your life.

Action Items for This Theme

• Consider beginning or continuing your studies in philosophy, literature, or psychology. You will always enjoy subject matter areas that stimulate your thinking.
• Thinking can be energizing for you, so schedule times for thinking. Use these times to muse and reflect.
• List your ideas in a log or a diary. These ideas will serve as grist for your mental mill, and might yield valuable insights.
• Take time to write. Writing might be the best way to crystallize and integrate your thoughts.
• Find people who like to talk about the same issues you do. Organize a discussion group that addresses subjects of interest to you.
• Deliberately build relationships with people you consider to be “big thinkers.” Their example will inspire you to focus your own thinking.

Be ready to:

• Explain to others why you need your time for introspection. Although it might seem to others that you aren’t doing anything, introspection allows you to refine your ideas; thus, for you it is productive behavior.
• Allow others time to think through your new idea after you have presented it for the first time. Realize that they might not immediately understand this new idea because they have not spent as much time as you have pondering it.
  • The Clifton StrengthsFinder and the 34 Clifton StrengthsFinder theme names are protected by copyright of Gallup Inc., 2000. All rights reserved.

For the more visually inclined:

A fantastic website with insightful discussion of Intellection, including

• Building your brand through this strengths
• Strengthening your performance at work
• Tips for managing someone with this strengths
• Partnering with someone with this strength

 

Intellection Power and Edge takes an interesting approach highlight not just what the strength is and how it shows up if you have it in your top five, but also how to navigate the world when this strengths is one of your lesser ones.

More ideas on going deeper:

• Gallup on How You Can Productively Aim Your Intellection Talents
• Many universities use the StrengthsQuest Workbook to help you build relationships, more effectively study and find meaning in what you do.
• South Mountain Community College offers up ideas on Applying your Talents in Career Discovery and Applying your Talents in Academics
• Western Texas tells us about Using your Strengths In the Job Search, Interview and New Position
• Weber State University has posted action plan worksheets for each of Gallup’s 34 strengthsfinder talents.
  • Intellection

From Lead Through Strengths listen/read:

Career Branding When Intellection Is Your Strength includes an audio file exploring:

1. Career Branding
2. Red Flag Situations At Work
3. Fresh Application Ideas

 

 

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THEME INSIGHTS:

• I am (Being) ———-> conceptual, deep, solitary
• I will (Doing) ———-> see thinking as synonymous with doing
• I Bring (Contribution) ———-> depth of understanding and wisdom
• I need (Requirement) ———-> time for reflection and meditation
• I love (Value) —————> the theoretical because it is the precursor to the practical
• I Hate (Value) —————> a thoughtless approach to anything
• Metaphor/Image ———-> drilling deep, plumbing the depths
• Barrier Label ———-> isolated and aloof

THEME CONTRAST:

• Intellection: An inquiring approach to growth and learning.
• Input: An acquiring approach to growth and learning..————————————————————————————————–
• Intellection: Thinks about concepts that need to be understood.
  Restorative: Thinks about problems that need to be solved.

More from Gallup:

Gallup’s Called to Coach is an excellent podcast series exploring the Intellection strengthsfinder theme in detail over several seasons:

• Season 1:
  • Loving Your Theme
• Season 2:
  • Theme Dynamics
  • Highly recommended: Utilize the Called to Coach worksheet for Intellection as you listen.
  • Comparing and Contrasting Ideation
• Season 3:
  • Strengths Based Leadership
• Season 4:
  • Focusing on Success
  • Productive Aiming: Ideation
• Season 5:
  • Highlights From Your CliftonStrengths 34 Report
• Season 6: Developing Teams and Managers 

• Episode 1: Deep Dives into Thought-Provoking Topics – “The Joe Rogan Experience”
• Episode 2: Philosophy and Intellectual Conversations – “Philosophize This!”
• Episode 3: Exploring Complex Ideas and Concepts – “The Partially Examined Life”
• Episode 4: Intellectual Insights and Analysis – “The Intelligence Squared Podcast”
• Episode 5: Thoughtful Reflections and Mindful Conversations – “On Being with Krista Tippett”
• Episode 6: Women Leaders Delving into Deep Thinking – “The Confident Woman Podcast” (Host: Sherry Parks)
• Episode 7: The Intellectual Woman: Navigating Complex Ideas in Leadership – “Women Who Lead” (Host: Andrena Sawyer)
• Episode 8: Embracing Intellection: Perspectives from Women in Leadership – “The Female CEO” (Host: Stacey Sargison)

Listen to great Strengths Podcasts